Vulnerability to floods is a combination of complex, dynamic and interrelated mutually reinforcing conditions that can be divided into three major groups as follows:
Physical/material conditions:
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Initial well-being, strength and resilience (high mortality rates, malnutrition, disease)
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Weak infrastructure, such as buildings, sanitation, electricity supply, roads and transportation
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Occupation in a risky area (insecure/ risk-prone sources of livelihood)
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Degradation of the environment and inability to protect it
Constitutional/organizational conditions:
- Lack of leadership, initiative, or organizational structure
- Lack of or limited access to political power and representation
- Lack of or poorly resourced national and local institutions
- Unequal participation in community affairs
- Inadequate skills and educational background
- Weak or non-existent social support networks
- Limited access to outside world
Motivational/attitudinal conditions:
- Lack of awareness of development issues, rights and obligations
- Certain beliefs and customs and fatalistic attitudes
- Heavy dependence on external support